diff --git a/include/utils.h b/include/utils.h
index 2c690417b721..31c9e792f8bd 100644
--- a/include/utils.h
+++ b/include/utils.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ extern const char * _SL_;
 extern int max_flush_loops;
 extern int batch_mode;
 extern bool do_all;
+extern int numeric;
 
 #ifndef IPPROTO_ESP
 #define IPPROTO_ESP	50
diff --git a/ip/ip.c b/ip/ip.c
index eea00b822088..995c2daed965 100644
--- a/ip/ip.c
+++ b/ip/ip.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ int force;
 int max_flush_loops = 10;
 int batch_mode;
 bool do_all;
+int numeric;
 
 struct rtnl_handle rth = { .fd = -1 };
 
@@ -236,10 +237,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (matches(opt, "-tshort") == 0) {
 			++timestamp;
 			++timestamp_short;
-#if 0
 		} else if (matches(opt, "-numeric") == 0) {
-			rtnl_names_numeric++;
-#endif
+			numeric++;
 		} else if (matches(opt, "-Version") == 0) {
 			printf("ip utility, iproute2-ss%s\n", SNAPSHOT);
 			exit(0);
diff --git a/lib/rt_names.c b/lib/rt_names.c
index f68e91d6d046..86066ec2df2c 100644
--- a/lib/rt_names.c
+++ b/lib/rt_names.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include <asm/types.h>
 #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
+#include <utils.h>
 
 #include "rt_names.h"
 
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ static void rtnl_rtprot_initialize(void)
 
 const char * rtnl_rtprot_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len)
 {
-	if (id<0 || id>=256) {
+	if (id<0 || id>=256 || numeric) {
 		snprintf(buf, len, "%u", id);
 		return buf;
 	}
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ static void rtnl_rtscope_initialize(void)
 
 const char *rtnl_rtscope_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len)
 {
-	if (id<0 || id>=256) {
+	if (id<0 || id>=256 || numeric) {
 		snprintf(buf, len, "%d", id);
 		return buf;
 	}
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@ static void rtnl_rtrealm_initialize(void)
 
 const char *rtnl_rtrealm_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len)
 {
-	if (id<0 || id>=256) {
+	if (id<0 || id>=256 || numeric) {
 		snprintf(buf, len, "%d", id);
 		return buf;
 	}
@@ -380,7 +381,7 @@ const char * rtnl_rttable_n2a(__u32 id, char *buf, int len)
 {
 	struct rtnl_hash_entry *entry;
 
-	if (id > RT_TABLE_MAX) {
+	if (id > RT_TABLE_MAX || numeric) {
 		snprintf(buf, len, "%u", id);
 		return buf;
 	}
@@ -446,7 +447,7 @@ static void rtnl_rtdsfield_initialize(void)
 
 const char *rtnl_dsfield_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len)
 {
-	if (id<0 || id>=256) {
+	if (id<0 || id>=256 || numeric) {
 		snprintf(buf, len, "%d", id);
 		return buf;
 	}
@@ -549,6 +550,11 @@ const char *rtnl_group_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len)
 	struct rtnl_hash_entry *entry;
 	int i;
 
+	if (numeric) {
+		snprintf(buf, len, "%d", id);
+		return buf;
+	}
+
 	if (!rtnl_group_init)
 		rtnl_group_initialize();
 
@@ -598,7 +604,7 @@ static void nl_proto_initialize(void)
 
 const char *nl_proto_n2a(int id, char *buf, int len)
 {
-	if (id < 0 || id >= 256) {
+	if (id < 0 || id >= 256 || numeric) {
 		snprintf(buf, len, "%u", id);
 		return buf;
 	}
diff --git a/misc/rtacct.c b/misc/rtacct.c
index bb8c90f98f5a..acecce0c3ecc 100644
--- a/misc/rtacct.c
+++ b/misc/rtacct.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ int time_constant = 0;
 int dump_zeros = 0;
 unsigned long magic_number = 0;
 double W;
+int numeric;
 
 static int generic_proc_open(const char *env, const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/misc/ss.c b/misc/ss.c
index eca4aa35facc..c6428cc2f19b 100644
--- a/misc/ss.c
+++ b/misc/ss.c
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ static int security_get_initial_context(char *name,  char **context)
 #endif
 
 int resolve_hosts = 0;
-int resolve_services = 1;
 int preferred_family = AF_UNSPEC;
 int show_options = 0;
 int show_details = 0;
@@ -100,6 +99,7 @@ int show_sock_ctx = 0;
 /* If show_users & show_proc_ctx only do user_ent_hash_build() once */
 int user_ent_hash_build_init = 0;
 int follow_events = 0;
+int numeric;
 
 int netid_width;
 int state_width;
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ static const char *resolve_service(int port)
 		return buf;
 	}
 
-	if (!resolve_services)
+	if (numeric)
 		goto do_numeric;
 
 	if (dg_proto == RAW_PROTO)
@@ -3076,14 +3076,11 @@ static int netlink_show_one(struct filter *f,
 
 	sock_state_print(&st, "nl");
 
-	if (resolve_services)
-		prot_name = nl_proto_n2a(prot, prot_buf, sizeof(prot_buf));
-	else
-		prot_name = int_to_str(prot, prot_buf);
+	prot_name = nl_proto_n2a(prot, prot_buf, sizeof(prot_buf));
 
 	if (pid == -1) {
 		procname[0] = '*';
-	} else if (resolve_services) {
+	} else if (!numeric) {
 		int done = 0;
 		if (!pid) {
 			done = 1;
@@ -3592,7 +3589,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				 long_opts, NULL)) != EOF) {
 		switch(ch) {
 		case 'n':
-			resolve_services = 0;
+			numeric = 1;
 			break;
 		case 'r':
 			resolve_hosts = 1;
@@ -3814,7 +3811,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	filter_states_set(&current_filter, state_filter);
 	filter_merge_defaults(&current_filter);
 
-	if (resolve_services && resolve_hosts &&
+	if (!numeric && resolve_hosts &&
 	    (current_filter.dbs&(UNIX_DBM|(1<<TCP_DB)|(1<<UDP_DB)|(1<<DCCP_DB))))
 		init_service_resolver();
 
@@ -3886,7 +3883,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	addrp_width /= 2;
 	addrp_width--;
 
-	serv_width = resolve_services ? 7 : 5;
+	serv_width = !numeric ? 7 : 5;
 
 	if (addrp_width < 15+serv_width+1)
 		addrp_width = 15+serv_width+1;
diff --git a/tc/tc.c b/tc/tc.c
index 46ff3714a2e9..f23794f03005 100644
--- a/tc/tc.c
+++ b/tc/tc.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ int resolve_hosts = 0;
 int use_iec = 0;
 int force = 0;
 bool use_names = false;
+int numeric;
 
 static char *conf_file;